


Five Years Of Valentines

by Mary_Jane221B



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 14:09:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6010462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mary_Jane221B/pseuds/Mary_Jane221B
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John is Sherlock's valentine without realising.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Years Of Valentines

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beginningwithA](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beginningwithA/gifts).



> Happy Love Day. MJ X
> 
> For my Dear Friend A who has been wonderful all weekend. Smooches to you.

That first year John honestly doesn't notice the date when he accepts the poorly wrapped gift from Sherlock in passing. He just pockets the thing and doesn't open it until lunchtime. 

The first year Sherlock gives him a paper origami bee and besides thinking it's pretty cute John puts it in his bedside table and forgets about it. 

***

The second year the gift is better wrapped and John is at least aware of the month. He raises a single eyebrow at the detective but still accepts it on his way out the door.

The second year Sherlock gives John a selection of miniature home made jams in matching jars that stack perfectly one on top of the other and with the tops covered in beautifully printed cotton squares and tied with fine string. 

John is at a loss about what to do until a pretty blonde nurse knocks on the exam room door and tells him Mrs Hope is here about her hemorrhoids.

The mini jam pots are forgotten about and used in their entirety during John's lazy day breakfast's. Sherlock smiles every time he sees them on the table.Tiny cotton squares folded and kept carefully next to a paper bee.

***

The third year Sherlock's been dead for a while and so John doesn't know what to make of the parcel that turns up on his kitchen table accompanied by a note bearing Mycroft’s distinct style of imposing penmanship.

He unwraps it and finds a beautiful leather bound journal stamped with his initials in gold. John sits for a while and stares at the book before giving up trying to discover it's meaning and opening the note from Mycroft. 

‘Doctor Watson, this was found amongst my brother's possessions. The note on the inside cover suggests it was purchased for this date. May it bring you some comfort. Best M Holmes.’ 

John flips open the front cover and reveals the short note in Sherlock's own scrawl.

‘John. Although sentiment brings few advantages to my life I feel myself moved to actions under its influence when it comes to our relationship. This journal being but one example. 

Your loyal companionship means more to me than I know how to express, thank you for your care and patience. Happy Valentine's Day My John Watson.

Yours faithfully 

Sherlock’ 

John doesn't know what to do. He cancels his date with the pretty blonde nurse from his new surgery, Mary, and instead begins transcribing his and Sherlock's adventure's into the impressive tomes pages.

***

By the fourth year John has convinced himself to move on. He buys flowers for Mary and accompanies her on a walk around Kew Gardens. They have a nice day but John doesn't feel it is anything special. 

He doesn't find the small wrapped gift in his bedside table for four months. Not until Sherlock has returned in a blaze of glory and only when he's furious and determined to rid himself of the blasted bee, book and squares of printed cotton does he find the four beautifully crafted paper flowers placed lovingly in a carved wooden box that smells of cherry blossoms. 

John closes the draw. He doesn't throw anything out. He shaves his mustache and ignores his girlfriend's forced jokes. 

***

The fifth year John doesn't find anything in his bedside table, although he does look. The 14th of February has become something of a second birthday to him but there's nothing and also nothing on the kitchen table when he goes downstairs for breakfast. Sherlock appears to still be asleep so John, feeling a little disappointed, makes a solitary breakfast and goes to work. 

He stops in the centre of the city on his way home six hours later. He spends a truly ridiculous amount of money and goes back to Baker Street wondering if he's about to make a fool of himself. 

Sherlock's pacing the living room when he walks through the door. The place stinks of burnt toast and John doesn't consider the repercussions before placing the parcel on Sherlock's desk and rushing to open the windows.

He berates the man for five minutes before stomping into the kitchen in a huff to make them both tea. He returns from the kitchen to find Sherlock turning the package over in his hands. 

“It's for you.” John says simply.

“I deduced.” Sherlock answers and John tilts his head in acknowledgement and before sipping his tea. 

“Why?” Sherlock asks. 

“Deduce.” John answers teasingly.

Sherlock frowns and opens the gift. 

The silver pocket watch was an antique and John was surprised it still worked but work it did, minute hand was a little fast but still it ticked.

Sherlock regarded the watch silently for a few minutes before looking back to John clearly bewildered. 

“The traditional list goes paper, cotton, leather, flowers. The modern starts with clocks.” John steps around the desk and places a closed lip kiss to Sherlock's cheek.  
“Happy Valentine's Love.”


End file.
